I'm Sorry
by DC Watchergirl
Summary: Following Robin's character ladder. Batman and Nightwing are sneaking into Brainiac's ship to save Superman and Supergirl but things don't go as plan. Brainiac is still defeated but there was a price. A life.


**I'm Sorry**

"Just reminding you, I'm only doing this because Superman has been taken too," Nightwing a.k.a Damian Wayne told him. "I'm not doing this because I like you."

"Understood," Batman responded. They were walking down an abandoned hallway. Brainiac had taken Superman and Supergirl into his ship, and since Batman and Nighwing were their best stealthers, they were assigned to go rescue them. The others, in the meantime, were in charge of destroying Brainiac's Batas.

"So how far are we from them?" Nightwing asked. Batman pulled out the tracking device.

"Close," Batman responded.

"Great. How VERY specific," Nightwing said sarcastically.

"You want it in feet or inches, smart-aleck?" Batman asked sarcastically.

"Either will do," Nightwing said.

"Fifteen feet," Batman told him. "Or 180 inches."

"Good were close," Nightwing said.

"My point exactly," Batman responded.

"Do you always have to be so difficult?" Nightwing asked. "You always had to point out that you were right. Why couldn't you for once…" They were about to make a turn when Batman pulled Nightwing back.

"What are you…" Nightwing began.

"Sshh." Nightwing then heard the sound of marching. Then he saw Brainiac's mechanical army march through that hallway. Once they had gone, Batman let go of Nightwing. He turned to his father. "Don't expect me to thank you." He walked pasted him and headed back the way they had come.

"Damian," Batman said. He turned to face him. "It's that way." He pointed in the other direction. Nightwing snorted before following Batman towards where Superman and Supergirl were detained.

* * *

"You think you can hide from me on my own ship? No matter. They will fall just like others did on their worlds."

* * *

"Are we here?" Nightwing asked.

"We're here," Batman said. He put the tracker up and saw that the Kryptonians were sedated on two separate tables. Batman walked over to Supergirl and Nightwing to Superman.

"So why did he want them?" Nightwing asked. "Besides the fact that they're the most powerful."

"He wanted to study them," Batman said. "Find out how they got their powers from our yellow sun."

"So basically what you were doing in the cave with Superman's DNA several years ago?" Nightwing responded. Batman glared at him.

"No, I was studying it not dissecting it," Batman said. "Which is what Brainiac's going to do." They started to unstrap them when four tentacle arms each pinned them to the wall. Brainiac came out of the shadows.

"You humans are so predicable," Brainiac said. "Coming to rescue you heavy players is…"

"So predicable. We get it," Nightwing interrupted. Brainiac tightened his grip on Nightwing.

"Do not try my patience, boy," Brainiac said. Batman pulled out a Batarang that he had kept under his gauntlet. Brainiac turned to Batman. "Both of you will be disposed of and forgotten from Earth's database." Batman threw the Batarang upwards and it exploded above Brainiac. Large rubble fell onto him from above and he accidently let go of them. They both landed on their feet.

"Nightwing, we need to…" Batman began but Nightwing didn't care. He ran up and as soon as Brainiac got up, he started attacking him. Batman ran back to Supergirl and started unstrapping her. He disabled the machine set to dissect her, undid her bonds, and turned off the red sun generator. Nightwing was fighting off Brainiac as best he could, but it wasn't good enough. Brainiac eventually managed to pin him to the wall using all four tentacles. Batman was just about to wake her up when he saw them. Reacting on instinct, he ran towards them.

* * *

"Now, die," Brainiac said. One of his tentacles sped right towards Nightwing. Damian closed his eyes and prepared himself for the blow. But it never came. When he opened his eyes he saw his father facing him, with Brainiac's tentacle piercing right through his stomach. Damian was shocked and horrified.

"I'm sorry," Batman whispered to him. "I love you and I forgive you." Brainiac then slid his tentacle out of Batman's body and let him fall to the floor. Brainiac was about to try again when Supergirl, awake at last, cut the tentacles that were holding Nightwing and flung him back several feet. Nightwing ran to his father and tried to wake him up.

"Batman, Bruce, Father," Damian said. "Please, wake-up. You can't die. Sure, I hate you, but you can't…" Damian then saw the blood on his hands. It was his father's blood, but also HIS blood. Bruce was dead. There was no denying it. He turned to see Supergirl fighting Brainiac. He stood up and pulled out his batons. "Don't worry, Father, your death will not be in vain."

* * *

"Bruce Wayne was my father and it's no secret I hated him. I have ever since I first met him when I was ten. And I made dang sure that he knew it. Why, I don't know? Maybe I was mad that he left my mother. Or I was mad because my mother was leaving me with him. Either way, we didn't have the best relationship. But in the end, my betrayal didn't matter to him. He scarified himself to save me so I could defeat Brainiac once and for all.

It was then I remembered why me and the others had stayed by his side for so long. Why I hadn't tried to runaway and find my mother. Or why I hadn't done it sooner. He loved us. He may not have shown it often, but he did. He was always willing to take a bullet for us, literally. It used to annoy me how he would not let me go with him on certain missions or was overprotective, but now I realize he was just trying to make sure that we lived through the night. He died saving me and I love and hate him for it. And I miss him so much." Damian sniffled before concluding. "Goodbye Father."

* * *

"That was some speech you gave at the funeral," Dinah said as she walked up to him. Damian was standing at Bruce's grave where Dinah now joined him. "Did you mean it?"

"Every word," Damian answered. He paused and sighed. "It should've been me." Dinah chuckled.

"If I had a dime for every time Bruce said that, I'd be richer than he was," Dinah responded. "And it wasn't your fault. It was his choice and he chose to save you. But that's not what's bothering you is it?" Damian shook his head.

"If I was the Joker, he would've shaken Supergirl awake first and hoped and prayed she'd save him," Damian said. "But throwing himself in between us, he only ever did for-for…"

"Dick?" Dinah guessed. Damian nodded. "Well, it wasn't just him I assure you. He did it for Clark, Diana, Hal, almost everyone in the League at some point. And he did for his boys. ALL of his boys." Silence fell over the two of them.

"Tell Barbara that Nightwing won't be a problem to the League anymore," Damian told her.

"You're quitting?" Dinah questioned.

"The Regime, yes, the fight, no," Damian responded. "And Robin won't be returning either."

"What are you going to do then?" Dinah asked.

"Gotham will always need a Batman," Damian said. "And who better to take the mantel then his son?"

* * *

So I took-on the mantel of the Bat and I abided by the 'no killing' rule, mostly to honor his memory. The part was that I finally understood why it was there. You see, in the gap between his death and the funeral, I searched the cave. I found some fan-mail in one of the sections and I was surprised at how much there was. I read some of them and saw that some of the people writing them were ex-cons. They had changed as a result of Batman and are now living ordinary peaceful lives. I also found a letter entitled to me from him. Those two things made me understand the rule. It wasn't for them. It was for us. It was to prevent us from becoming the criminals. To provide a distinction between the two. A line to divide the two sides.

My name is Damian Wayne, son of Talia Al Ghul and Bruce Wayne. I've called by many names. Robin, Nightwing. But from now on, all of Gotham will know me as Batman.


End file.
